How To Prevent Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
It is a truly devastating injury with very serious consequences for the individual, his/her family, and society. This is because it can cause as high as 72% disability. But before going further, let us understand what Spinal Cord is and why it is very important to protect it from injuries.Spinal Column
Spinal column, also known as vertebral column, is the bony support that extends from the head to pelvis. It is made up of (refer to the picture below) 33 bone rings (vertebrae) stacked on top of each other and provides stability to support body weight, flexibility of movements. Its another basic function is to protect the spinal cord that is suspended and passing through it. Each vertebra is separated from its neighbour by a firm yet compressible material for absorbing shock and stress due to sudden movements.
Spinal Cord
Spinal cord is essentially an extension of the brain that extends from just below the base of the skull to the low mid-back. Twenty-one pairs of nerves are given off from the spinal cord that supplies the upper and lower limbs, chest, and abdomen (Refer to the picture below)
Type of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Normally Spinal cord injury occurs along with Spinal column injury. However, every spinal column injury need not result in spinal cord injury.
Tetraplegia
This is a very serious type of SCI where the injury occurs at the level of the neck. Alternatively known as Quadriplegia, this results in total paralysis of all the four limbs. Chest and abdomen may also be affected with difficulty in breathing
Paraplegia
This occurs when an injury is below neck level, leading to paralysis in the lower half of the body.
Reasons for SCI
- Fall from heights-trees, buildings, construction sites.
- Road Traffic Accident (RTA); especially involving two-wheelers.
- Sporting injuries: Diving, Kabaddi, Football.
- Assault: Gunshot, Stabbing, Hitting with blunt weapons
- Non-traumatic causes: Tubercular spondylitis, Osteoporosis, arthritis.
Prevention Methods for SCI
- Always wear seat belts while travelling by car and use child safety restraints for children.
- Always wear a helmet while riding a two-wheeler.
- Never drive any vehicle under influence of alcohol, drugs.
- Never travel or ride with those who consumed alcohol or drugs.
- Avoid distractions while driving (talking on mobile, texting, or even loud music.
- Follow traffic rules and speed limits.
- Keep a clean home and eliminate fall hazards. Slips and falls occur very frequently at home (bathrooms in particular).
- Always use protective equipment while participating in sports.
- Use window and balcony guards to prevent fall.
Sources & Acknowledgement
We took the liberty of sourcing from the World Health Organization (WHO) report, Rehabilitation Council of India(RCI), and National Health Portal (NHP) of India, with gratitude.
